5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Coming to College (+ Sorority Recruitment Tips)

Friday, June 23, 2017

I can’t believe that I am already halfway done with college. It seems like yesterday I was packing up my stuff to move into my dorm. I remember being so nervous and scared, but also very very excited. Looking back, I wish I had known these 5 things before coming to college.

1. Living in a tiny room with a complete stranger is going to be okay.

I was so nervous to live with a complete stranger, but honestly it is not that bad. Remember, everyone is in the same boat, and your future roomie is just as nervous about living with you. There are definitely times when you will miss having your own space, but you will learn to make it work. It can take a lot of patience to live in such a tiny space with someone, but it can be a lot of fun too. Also, community bathrooms are nothing to worry about!

2. No one cares what you are wearing.

Do not stress about what you look like. I’ve seen people in full on costumes and no one even noticed (or if they did, they didn’t care).

3. The very first friends you make might not end up being your best friends, and that is okay.

The first weeks of school you will talk to so many people and make so many new friends and that is awesome! There is definitely a chance that you will immediately meet your lifelong bestie, but there is also a chance that you will have some friends in the beginning who you don’t keep. This is completely normal and totally okay.

4. You are not too cool to go to things.

The only way you are going to get involved and meet new friends is by leaving your dorm and going to things. Trust me, you are not too cool to go to the spa your RA set up in her room, or the freshman burger bash. (Plus, most events have free food!)

5. You will get lost at first.

It is pretty common to get lost on campus at first. It seems huge when you first get here. Ask for help. It isn’t embarrassing. People are very nice and will help you get to where you need to be. I got lost and walked in circles for at least 30 minutes before asking a random guy to help me find my class. I was literally standing right next to it.

Going through sorority recruitment was almost more exciting and nerve-wracking than college itself. I remember stressing out so much and searching the internet for tips, so I decided that now that I have been through recruitment on both sides I could share my own tips that I have learned.

Don’t listen to other PNM’s.

When I was going through recruitment, I heard so many crazy theories about the different chapters. Everyone I talked to had another secret about a house they wanted to tell me. A ton of these secrets had to do with different ways to tell if a house was going to cut you or not. All of them were completely made up! Do not listen to other PNMs because they do not know what they are talking about.

Don’t stress out so much about your shorts and your hair.

Honestly, the parties (at least at big schools) are so hectic and fast paced that no one is looking at which shorts you picked out to match your recruitment t-shirt. I remember being so stressed out trying to find the perfect shorts everyday, and no one even looks at them. Same goes for your hair, makeup, and shoes. If a hair is out of place or your makeup is sweating off, don’t stress. We are so concentrated on hearing you over how loud the parties are that we don’t really have time to judge how you look.

You probably will get cut from a house you love.

Just be ready, because sadly this will probably happen. Not every house can take every girl. Most of the time, it has nothing to do with you, and you can’t take it personally. You will most likely look back in a couple of months and realize that you didn’t really fit in there anyways.

Think of questions you want to ask before you go in, just in case.

This is just a good tip if you are worried about being shy or awkward. Before you go in, think of a question or two to ask the girls you are talking to. Most of the time, you probably won’t need to use your questions, but they can really come in handy if your conversation starts slowing down or you are running out of things to talk about.

Be yourself and everything will work out.

This is so cliché that I almost didn’t add it in here, but seriously just be you! You are going to love some chapters and fit in with them really well, and some you are not going to click with at all. Don’t try to change yourself to fit into a chapter that isn’t right for you. If you trust your gut, and be yourself you will end up in the right place.